


The Thing About Love

by vianne78



Series: Nate [8]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: ALL THE FLUFF, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Love, M/M, Post-Coital Cuddling, Romance, Sleepy Cuddles, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, True Love, mentions sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 22:44:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11610501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vianne78/pseuds/vianne78
Summary: Danse is awake again while Nate sleeps. Here there be fluff and cuddles and absolutely no plot.





	The Thing About Love

Nate had nearly developed a habit of making sure Danse fell asleep before he did (apparently he thought Danse _lied_ about sleeping enough - which he frequently did, of course, but seriously, the trust issues!), but one of Danse’s favorite things in the world was staying awake when Nate was sleeping. He did it as often as he could get away with. 

He loved to just lie there, watching the other man, or - like right now - just taking joy in the closeness, listening to the steady breathing, letting his thoughts drift lazily. Moments like these relaxed Danse, and he had never been one to really even know what being at ease means.

As a BOS officer, his duties had weighed heavily on him, he had suffered from severe headaches, and - as he knew now - PTSD had been his constant companion.  
Along came a pre-war relic, and everything had started to change. Nate had been in pain and mourning, but something about his presence had soothed Danse, almost instantly. 

Amused, Danse remembered how shocked he had been, angry even, waking up from a full night’s sleep for the first time - they’d been supposed to take turns. His hair had been standing up on one side and he had had to wipe drool from his cheek. Unacceptable.

Ready to chew the knight’s head off, he had turned the full force of his deadliest glare at him… but Nate’s wan smile and the bruise-like shadows around his blue eyes had taken the wind right out his sails.  
“I’m sorry. I just felt like staying up tonight,” he’d said lightly, leaving Danse defenceless.

Over time, Danse had come to know and welcome the feeling of being well rested. These days he roused slowly, peacefully, instead of jolting up. And Nate was always there with him, keeping the world where it should be, instead of on Danse’s shoulders. 

Through the bedroom windows he saw some of Sanctuary’s string lights twinkling in the rain, occasionally swaying in the wind. Apart from the persistent drizzle, it was completely quiet. Dark. Safe.

Danse’s gaze wandered down to the black-haired head on his chest. Nate was still sprawled on top of him, his solid weight possibly the only thing keeping Danse from floating inches above their bed. He was so damn happy it was ridiculous, and exhilarating, and completely impossible, it just didn’t happen - yet, here he was.

He had the best kind of aches and stings all over his body - particularly his ass. A memory from just a few moments ago flashed in his mind, an image of Nate on his knees between his legs, thrusting deep inside him, eyes screwed shut and a strangled groan of ecstasy in his throat. It was enough to make Danse’s breath catch and his thoroughly spent dick, currently sandwiched between them, twitch half-heartedly. 

He ran his fingers lightly on Nate’s arms and shoulders, enjoying the feel of his smooth, warm skin, making Nate hum in his sleep and tighten his hold on Danse.

Danse had been a soldier for a long time, and as such, had felt completely at ease in whatever cramped spaces he had to make use of with his fellow soldiers. But that kind of contiguity was a polar opposite of any meaningful contact, and Nate liked to touch. A lot. 

Traveling together, Danse had witnessed the warm and easy interaction between the vault dweller and his ragtag band of brothers and sisters numerous times. All those hugs and fistbumps and casual kisses, arms slung on shoulders, legs thrown on laps... But Nate had always given Danse much more space. Danse himself had maintained a distance he had been comfortable with - decorum and all that - and Nate had let him. 

Until that one night, when Nate had once again - one last time - dreamed of Nora.  
That night had been pivotal in more ways than one. 

Wanting to alleviate his friend’s distress, any way he possibly could, Danse had initiated an embrace. He had held Nate for the first time, and he had not wanted to let go. Something had changed then, shifted a tiny bit, just enough for both of them to notice. After that night, Nate had gradually extended those warm touches from his family to him, too. 

It hadn’t been easy for Danse, getting used to a whole new level of closeness, and at the same time, struggling to come to terms with his own, growing feelings. 

At first, even the most casual contacts made him stop in his tracks. He could entirely lose his train of thought, occasionally even blush or drop things. Nate would smile and squeeze his arm, and Danse would stand there gaping, unable to remember what he’d been saying. Or if he had been saying anything at all. 

In all honesty, Nate’s smile could still do that to him.

Danse had fumbled to reciprocate, his attempts, of course, often failing.  
Like that one time he had managed to slap Nate instead of patting. _Fuck_.  
He had been _mortified_ , but Nate... had just been Nate. Nothing but sweet. He had laughed and joked about it lightly, keeping his hand on Danse’s shoulder as they walked, until Danse had relaxed again and laughed with him.

Danse smiled in the darkness, kissed the top of Nate’s head. He was getting much better at this whole touching thing.

The vault dweller’s reactions to the simplest (successful) touches had been more than enough to make the hapless paladin try his damndest to learn. Every time that hint of surprised pleasure softened the cerulean eyes, Danse had wanted to cause more of it. 

He was getting better at this whole romance thing, too, though now that they were finally together, he felt and acted much like he imagined a touch deprived, hormonal adolescent head over heels in love would. And had no regrets about it whatsoever.  
Being with Nate had made Danse realize that he never wanted to be alone again.

He’d been falling so damn hard, probably from the very first moments, but he sure had taken his sweet time realizing it. He was lucky in many ways, but mostly he was lucky Nate had the patience of a saint. And enough humor for the both of them.

Nate stirred, lifted his head and even in the darkness, saw Danse grinning. Nate’s lips quirked up as he moved, settling next to Danse on the bed.  
“You’re thinking about that time again.”

Danse followed, turning on his side toward the man he loved.  
“Which time would that be?”

Nate’s smile widened.  
“You know. When you beat me up instead of petting me.”

Danse laughed. It was such a relaxed, happy sound, and Nate was once again struck by how far they had come. He felt warm all over when Danse laughed like that.

“That unfortunate failure _was_ one of the things I was thinking about. I was such a pathetic rookie,” Danse conceded, scooting closer until they were nose to nose, flush against each other. His head ended up on Nate’s bicep and their legs entwined in a comforting, familiar way. 

Danse brushed Nate’s lower lip with his thumb, before wrapping his arm around him and drawing small, slow circles on Nate’s back, making the other man nearly purr.

“Mmh. Never pathetic. Adorable. And look how good you are now,” Nate whispered and pressed their lips together, softly, sweetly. They parted, but only just, wrapped in the glow of the deep feeling that was evident in their every look and touch (and, of course, the glow of brain-melting sex). Sleep was rapidly gaining on them, and this time even Danse gave in.

***

The following day they missed breakfast. And brunch. A little past lunch time, Codsworth silently entered the house, shooing Dogmeat back outside and closing the door behind him. He heard the stirring in the bedroom as he lowered the tray on the counter. Fetching a couple of glasses to put next to the pitcher of fresh mutfruit juice, he listened to the murmured words and quiet laughs. Music to his proverbial ears.  
Codsworth started whistling.

He was a robot, yes, but even he could bask in the warmth. 

In the two centuries he had spent more or less alone, puttering around the ruins of a once so beautiful neighborhood, this had been what he had missed most. The happiness that once was. The noises of everyday lives, yes, and the laughter and even the most unremarkable conversations, but most of all, the love. 

The love so strong, it had lingered within these walls all that time and kept him from giving up, shutting down in a corner and becoming a part of the ruins himself.  
And then, beyond all hope - miracles happened. 

Master Nate had come back, and little by little, new friends had followed - his master’s heart was so bright, even when it was broken. Soon he’d had a new, extended family, a whole bustling community to take care of. Laughter and purpose had returned.

And now, finally, the love, as strong as before. Codsworth swore it made an old robot feel brand new and lighter than a feather, that even his servos were working better now. 

Nate appeared from the bedroom, pulling on a t-shirt and aiming his radiant smile at the robotic butler.  
“Morning, old friend. Or is it too late to talk about morning - oh, you found eggs! You spoil us rotten, you know,” he said, popping a small piece of fried egg into his mouth, and there it was again. Love, in his voice. 

The thing about love was that, well, now it actually seemed to be all around again. Codsworth was pretty sure there had even once been a song about love being in the very air, and wished he knew the words. It must have been something.

“I take great pleasure in spoiling you, master Nate, and -” the butler’s amused voice lowered conspiratorially, “an excellent way to get special servings is to miss some meals. Do enjoy!” Codsworth turned to leave. 

Just as he made it outside, he remembered one teeny-tiny detail and stopped.  
This particular detail he had _wanted_ to forget.  
Silently berating himself for remembering at all, the butler whirled around and peeked back in, gathering his courage. 

“Nearly slipped my mind, don’t know what I was thinking (your best interest, I believe, he muttered under his breath) - take absolutely all the time you need and then, eventually, when you’re good and ready... uh, Preston wished to let you know there’s another settlement in need of your aid.”

Codsworth blurted out the last words and escaped swiftly, but could certainly hear the loud groans trailing after him, all the way across the yard.


End file.
